Follow Us
Booking flight tickets can be one of the biggest travel expenses — especially for long-distance or holiday flights. But with the right strategy, tools, and timing, you can unlock great discounts on Air India flight tickets and make your travel affordable without compromising convenience.
This guide covers all the best tips, tricks, and offers to help you score the lowest possible price on Air India bookings.
One of the simplest ways to get discounts is to book your tickets well in advance.
✔ International flights → 2–4 months ahead
✔ Domestic flights → 4–8 weeks ahead
Prices tend to rise as seats fill up, so early booking increases your chances of snagging cheaper tickets.
💡 Pro Tip: Use fare alerts on travel apps to track price drops.
Airfare fluctuates based on demand. You can often save by choosing:
Weekday flights (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)
Early morning or late night departures
Weekend and peak hour flights usually cost more.
✔ Seasonal promotions
✔ Festival deals
✔ Member-exclusive discounts (Flying Returns)
✔ Advance purchase deals
Always check the Air India deals page before booking.
Many banks and wallets offer additional savings when booking Air India tickets.
Common offers include:
Instant discount with credit/debit cards
UPI cashback
App exclusive bank deals
Check for active offers from:
✔ SBI
✔ HDFC
✔ ICICI
✔ Axis
✔ Kotak
✔ PhonePe / Google Pay / Paytm UPI
💡 Pro Tip: Sometimes offers stack — e.g., bank discount + UPI cashback.
Air India’s loyalty program Flying Returns helps you earn miles with every booking.
Perks include:
✔ Redeem miles for discounted flights
✔ Extra miles on partner flights and hotels
✔ Tier benefits like priority check-in
Use your miles to offset ticket costs on future bookings.
Don’t rely on just the official site. Compare prices across:
Air India website/app
MakeMyTrip
Cleartrip
Yatra
Goibibo
Skyscanner / Google Flights
Comparison helps you find lower prices, flash deals, and promo codes you might miss otherwise.
💡 Tip: Enable price alerts on Google Flights or Skyscanner.
One-way tickets often cost more per segment. Consider:
✔ Round-trip tickets
✔ Multi-city bookings
Airlines sometimes discount combined bookings compared to single segments.
Major sale periods often bring big savings:
Diwali & Dussehra offers
New Year sales
Summer travel sales
Independence Day offers
Black Friday & Cyber Monday (international travelers)
During these windows, prices can drop significantly.
Air India occasionally offers:
✔ Family offers
✔ Group booking benefits (5+ passengers)
✔ Student discounts
Always check if group offers apply before booking multiple seats.
If you use travel or reward credit cards, you can get:
✔ Bonus points converted to ticket discounts
✔ Airline vouchers
✔ Annual fee waivers for flight bookings
Examples include:
HDFC Diners Club
SBI Elite / Signature
Axis Vistara Club Vistara
ICICI Sapphiro / Rubyx
These rewards can offset significant ticket costs.
Some booking engines track repeated searches and may raise prices.
To avoid this:
✔ Search flights in Incognito mode
✔ Clear cookies before searching
This can sometimes show lower initial prices.
Some travel sites offer:
✔ Refund of the difference if ticket price drops
✔ Price hold options
If you book early, this policy can help you save if prices drop later.
✔ Book early
✔ Fly mid-week / off-peak times
✔ Compare multiple platforms
✔ Apply bank/wallet discounts
✔ Use airline miles or reward points
✔ Watch seasonal/festival sales
✔ Try multi-city/return bookings
Booking last-minute without price checks
Ignoring bank or wallet offers
Booking only on one site
Forgetting to check refund/cancellation policies
1) Is Air India cheaper to book directly?
Sometimes yes — direct bookings avoid third-party fees, but aggregator sites often have additional discounts, so compare.
2) Can I use multiple offers together?
Yes — in many cases, bank discounts and UPI offers stack, but check T&Cs.
3) How early should I book?
Domestic flights → 4–8 weeks ahead
International flights → 2–4 months ahead
4) Are student discounts available?
Some platforms offer student deals — always check before booking.
5) Do reward points help reduce price?
Yes — reward points or airline miles can partially or fully offset ticket costs.
